Ted Nolan Will Be Fired: He Can Blame It On The Draft

Ted Nolan was brought in to Buffalo to get coach, or so we thought. In reality he was brought in to keep fans calm. But the draft changed that.

Its one thing to lose your job because of a player dispute, but it’s another to be potentially fired a second time because of the incoming draft class. When the Buffalo Sabres season finally comes to an end so will Ted Nolan’s job. For Nolan the job was impossible from the start, but it got him back into the NHL. Being the head coach if one of the worst teams in history never looks good on a resume, but Nolan hasn’t stopped doing his job. He still wants’ to win games and while the Sabres faithful may not like that fact; they need to just sit back and watch their team. It’s a coached job to win, but it’s the GM’s job to give the coach the talent to do so.

I can’t believe my ears… Never in my life would I have thought being a Sabres fan meant we wanted our team to lose. Never in a man coaching career should the

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

job description be hanging in long enough to not win. While drafting Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel could change Buffalo’s future. The potential of “McEichel” will ultimately be the reason Nolan was fired before he was hired.

This is not news really, but it is something that the players and coaches need to worry about. We have entered a time when being part of a franchise no matter if you’re a coach, player or a just a fan has become about losing. Teams will not come out and say it, but they are losing. They set their rosters in an attempt to look like they are trying and hats off to Tim Murray for finding a way to dump talent and stay within the rules, but it feels dirty.

I once heard Jim Rome say “if you’re not cheating you’re not trying.”  Well, Murray was not cheating but he managed to bend and twist the rules right up to that point. It’s his job after all to make the team a success by any means necessary, and he is doing that. But, for Ted Nolan’s job is to win, and win or lose this season he was set up to fail.

Live Feed

Sabre Noise

I feel for him on a few different levels, but I also know it’s just the business of hockey. For the Sabres players and coaches this has become a them vs. the fans month. Many fans are in full-out lose mode and some have taken to the dark side; while other stay true to their believes of winning is the name of the game. It’s not a grand divide as both sides want what’s best, but seeing and hearing the change within the Sabres fan base has to take its toll on Nolan and his team.

Once the last whistle is blown and the players pack their stuff Ted Nolan will most like walk out of the First Niagara Center and look back at what many view as a publicity stunt. Yes, it’s what he signed on for, but in hindsight I can’t help but wonder if he wishes he didn’t. So, don’t blame Nolan blame the draft for what has been one of the most stressful years in Blue and Gold history.